Come the Morning
by Garowyn
Summary: Tormented & haunted in their dreams, Gohan & Goten must overcome their fears & the obstacles set before them, evoked by their innermost thoughts, & save each other before both become lost in their own misery.


**A/N READ: Don't own DBZ. The Caretakers and Blackguards including the named ones in this story belong to me so DO NOT take them! There's some sibling fluff at the end. Takes place the night before the training that took place in _Gather for the Tournament_. '…thoughts…' The opening prologue to a YuGiOh fic of mine that featured the caretakers, is in Italics with a bit of editing but it concerns only the caretakers blackguards. READ IT if you want to understand the story. I'm using "chi" instead of "ki" because I've been "enlightened" by reading some DBZ manga. I hope I've managed to keep them in character.**

* * *

_It was past midnight and all was quiet among the clouds. It was only natural but sometimes if you listened very closely, you could hear voices, laughter, and sometimes, although very rarely, singing. Among the clouds there were beings that possessed a mystical power that allowed them to control the dreams of those living on earth. These beings had no official name and saw themselves as caretakers of the humans and lived up to 800 years each, growing to only 6 feet and remaining there, and resembled humans. 800 years of course if the caretaker remained intact in mind, soul, and energy._

_The number of these beings was slightly greater than the population of earth. Others who were masters of dreams trained young humanoids. Whenever one human died, the caretaker of that person's dream would find another and move on. The humanoids watched over their 'pets' as often referred to and protected them from the corrupt and unpleasant things that entered one's dream._

_For example, if one human dreamt of drowning in a stormy sea, the human's caretaker would simply change the stormy sea into a mere puddle of water, thus saving the human from having a nightmare. The caretakers enjoyed protecting their pets for it was all they lived for but sometimes they are unable to prevent the human from having a nightmare._

_There were other humanoids, black-hearted, who dwelled in the storm clouds, a fitting place for their kind, and moreover, delighted in the night. They thrived on making humans suffer in their dreams, and thoroughly enjoyed sensing the agony the humans were being put through. They too worked in similar ways to the pure-hearted humanoids and when two met upon the edge of a nightmare or a good dream, battle would erupt but not in the form of what we would think._

_Instead it was a struggle to have greater control over the outcome of the dream. You see, whenever a caretaker or a blackguard wants to change something in a dream, they use energy from within themselves and if one exerts too much energy and strength, they can become severely injured. They would not die right away but remain in their injured state for long periods of time, unable to protect their pet. In some sparse cases, if too powerful, the energy drained because of an overpowering force could kill._

The blackguards were attacking again as usual, this time with more ferocity. Their newest victims were two half-human, half-Saiyan brothers…

The Head Caretaker, Veeana, already knew what had happened. The raven-haired beauty turned at the entrance of two caretakers carrying the limp body of a fellow caretaker. A profound look upon her face, she clutched the material of her pale violet gown in anticipation of the report. "My Lady…" One of them began softly. "He is badly wounded." He announced mournfully. Before another word could be said, more caretakers arrived with a female version of a caretaker. She had been entrusted to Son Goten while the other, Son Gohan.

The one, who had spoken previously, uttered one single word. "Blackguards."

Veeana wasted no time. "We will need replacements immediately!" She paced the marble floor, debating whether or not to send some of the younger caretakers, Tyden and Jenna. They were both stronger than they were a few years ago. Jenna, the female with short black hair and soft green eyes, and Tyden, the male, with dark hair and hazel eyes. If she chose them, she would also have to find temporary replacements for their own pets. Tyden she was unsure of…he had been born during a storm resulting in the fact that he was tempted to become a blackguard. He had proved himself loyal but still…from the reports, these blackguards attacking the hybrids in the mountains were said to be more powerful than any other they had encountered.

But Jenna and Tyden were still on the path of learning and would be for many years to come so this would prove to be good but difficult practice for them.

"My Lady?" One of the caretakers stared at her expectantly. "Have you come to a decision yet?" He did not mean to rush her but Son Gohan and his little brother Goten were defenseless at the moment in their dreams. The Caretakers took their jobs very seriously.

She had no other options. "Send for Jenna and Tyden." She ordered and the caretakers nodded, already beginning to carry out her request.

Tyden and Jenna arrived, concern on their pale features. "You called for us, Lady Veeana." Jenna bowed her head slightly. Tyden did not bother with formalities, at least in this hour of urgency.

"Yes." Veeana affirmed. "I need you to fight off the blackguards who are attempting to corrupt the dreams of Gohan and Goten." She paused as her vision blurred, bringing forth the image of the sun rising from behind the mountains where the Sons lived. The two caretakers waited patiently. Then, "Morning has arrived. You must be with them once they fall asleep. As for your own pets, they will have replacements until you have finished." With that said, leaving no room for any further arguments or words, the two caretakers bowed and left the room.

* * *

Night was approaching and another day of training with Videl and Goten had ended. Gohan dragged his feet up the stairs to the bedroom he shared with Goten. Futons already laid out, Gohan set himself down on the bed and watched his little brother for a moment. Goten had reached the room first and was already asleep, a peaceful expression on his young face. Smiling wistfully, Gohan lay his head down on the pillow and thought about how carefree his brother was, how he was a lot like their father. Goten brought so much joy into their lives. The boy had been a glimmer of hope when ChiChi and Gohan had tried to pick up the pieces of their shattered world after Goku died. The darkness of despair and grief had steadily cleared from their sight as the light of a newborn baby grew into a healthy young hero. 'Sweet dreams, Goten…' 

The elder of the two had not noticed that Goten's dreamy expression had suddenly turned to one of confusion and fear as the boy squirmed in his bed sheets.

DREAM SEQUENCE

Goten was sitting beside a calm river, playing with a small lizard. The sun was shining brightly and the birds chirped and sang their praises. The trees and grass blades swayed gently to the soft music of the wind and flowers were in bloom everywhere. It was in all a perfect day, a perfect dream. His mother, ChiChi, was busy setting out lunch on a blanket and Gohan was sitting by the river, eyes closed, smiling. But the one thing that pleased the young Son the most was that his father was there. Son Goku was standing to the side of Goten, laughing at the way the lizard kept crawling all over Goten; his hair, his shoulders, his knees, and even his face. Their laughter continued to echo all around the area.

"This is the best day ever!" Goten proclaimed, grinning up at his father who returned the same goofy grin. The lizard squirmed out of Goten's grip onto the cool grass, pleased to be away from the hyperactive Saiyan youth.

"C'mon, let's go eat!" Goku took off, racing down the side of the river, calling back to his son, "Race you!" He laughed merrily.

"I'm gonna win!" Goten giggled and jumped to his feet, preparing to fly when the gentle wind switched to a strong one and nearly blew him off of his feet. The sky darkened with rain clouds, storm clouds, frightening clouds. The flowers withered and died and then suddenly, in an abnormal way, began to liquefy and drip onto the now dry and crumpled grass. It was a swirling mass of bright colors quickly changing into a blood red. Horrified, Goten watched as the trees became gnarled and twisted, seemingly to reach out to him. The calm river became raging and loud and the rocks turned to that of sharp blades. The young boy spun around and called for his family but when he saw them before him, they were standing tall, glaring at him.

"G-Gohan?" Goten stammered, his family still not moving from their spots. "Mommy? Daddy?" Confused, Goten took a few hesitant steps forward and it was at that exact moment, Goku disappeared and reappeared in front of Goten and grabbed him by the collar of his gi, causing the boy to yelp.

Goku snarled, "You little weakling." He dropped Goten to the ground unceremoniously, clearly not caring where he landed.

Tears gathered at Goten's eyes and he furiously tried to blink them away. 'Only Uncle Vegeta calls me that…sometimes…' He thought worriedly. Why would his own father call him such a thing? All his life he had been told what a great man Goku was, how loving, adorable, naïve, and optimistic he had been. Now here he was, wounding him deeply, emotionally. "Daddy?" He whimpered, not wanting to believe it. "W-What's going on?" He asked, panic evident in his tone of voice.

"You're not worthy of being a warrior. You're not strong enough." Goku said at last, glaring daggers at the young hybrid. "I'm ashamed that I ever called you my son."

The last remark stung, badly, and brought the previously unshed tears falling down his face like a waterfall.

"I…I'm sorry, Daddy." Goten whispered, hoping with all his heart that was enough to suffice his father but it was not.

Instead, ChiChi came up to him, hands on her hips, giving a cold look to her youngest son. "Why can't you be as smart as Gohan? You don't understand a thing I tell you! You look too much like your father, darn it!" ChiChi shrieked, slapping him across the face.

"Ah!" Goten pushed himself away from his parents and looked up at them with bloodshot eyes. "Mommy, why are you doing this? What's happening?" Without thinking, he got to his feet and rushed past them, heading for his older brother, oblivious to the fact that Gohan might have changed as well.

As he ran, the blood-red liquid from the melted flowers blocked his way and his feet slipped out from beneath him. Above him, water droplets began to fall, each one freezing to the touch and almost as hard as hail.

"Do you see all this blood?" Gohan questioned him darkly.

Goten was on his hands and knees as he looked up at his older brother. He glanced at his own clothing, seeing everything stained in…blood? Was it really blood? Queasy, Goten shivered and shakily stood up. "Gohan? Why—what's wrong?" He asked fearfully. His wonderful dream had turned into a terrifying nightmare.

"This is all the blood that was lost during my childhood by warriors, enemies…among this is even innocent blood!" Gohan shouted angrily. "I will NEVER have a normal life! Why should you get a normal life, huh? How come—why don't YOU ever have to save the world for a change! It's not fair! IT'S NOT FAIR!"

Goten winced and cowered under the unshakable black look in his brother's stormy eyes. "It's not my fault, big brother…"

All of a sudden, everything became still and quiet as if time itself had frozen solid, like water to ice. Goten threw a glance behind him to see if his parents had become inanimate as well. They had. Motionless, unmoving, frosty looks still apparent on their faces. More tears trickled down his face, blending in with the raindrops. Thunder sounded and lightning streaked through the sky. Helpless, hopeless, hapless, and defeated, Goten sank to the bloodstained grass with a moan. The biting wind nipped at his being.

What had happened? What had gone wrong? Sobs shook his whole body as he stared at the ground, feeling unwanted and unworthy. Was he an accident? Didn't his Mommy love him anymore? Hadn't Gohan told him that his Daddy would love him if he were still alive? All this and more plagued him.

Goten began to cry openly now and shivered from the cold. He had been told before of his heritage on his father's side. He was a Saiyan, by blood and instinct, but he was also human too. It seemed the Saiyan side of him had left. He could no longer sense or feel his chi. It wasn't there to warm his body, to give him confidence, to let him know that he was special, different, unique. His pride had disappeared with it. Goten never regularly showed pride, at least not to the extent of the Prince of all Saiyans…but it would always be there. It was a part of his soul.

Where was his best friend Trunks? Trunks was older and always knew what to do. Trunks, though often bossy, reassured him of many things. Together, they were invincible.

Where was Vegeta? The one man, aside from Gohan, who had been the only other father figure for him even though he clearly was not all that fond of the 'brat' as he put it. He was strong; he could protect Goten.

Where was Bulma? She was a genius. Maybe she could invent some kind of thing to drive away the loneliness and pain he was feeling, the emotional and physical terror he had already endured.

What about everyone else? Krillin, who was there to encourage him? Yamcha, another who made him laugh? The whole gang? Where were they? Were they angry with him as well?

"I'm all alone." Goten whispered to himself. Unfortunately, he had not fully realized that this was all merely a nightmare, a creation of his mind. Or perhaps a creation of another…

"That's right. You're all alone, boy." Came the most cruellest, raspy, cold voice Goten had ever heard in all his seven years of life.

Meanwhile, the real Son Gohan had fallen into a dream world of his own. It was not quite the same as Goten's for any happiness or perfection that may have existed was simply not present. It had already started out dark, gloomy, and depressing, erasing any smile that might've crossed the young teen's face.

"Where am I?" Gohan wondered, taking a few steps forward into the mud. Yes, it was raining; a pretty hard downpour. Gohan shivered slightly, being half-human and still capable of experiencing lack of heat, and decided to flare his chi a bit and warm his body, just as any Saiyan would. It was second nature to him now in dealing with his chi but when he tried to in a sense, 'activate' it, nothing happened or changed.

Eyebrows raised, and eyes widened, Gohan tried once more. To his dismay, nothing happened yet again. Feeling a bit alarmed, Gohan mentally reminded himself that it was a dream. A nightmare maybe, although nothing all that horrible had occurred yet.

Deciding to pinch himself with the hope of being awakened, Gohan lifted his right arm, fingers extended and set to pinching his left shoulder but before he could do so, a low growl alerted whatever he had left of his senses. Uneasy, Gohan turned around slowly in the direction where it had come from, the forest at the base of the tall mountains surrounding him. A few bushes rustled and then a maroon-haired, golden-eyed predator with wide ears came leaping outward, claws outstretched, mouth wide open revealing thick sharp fangs. It was unlike anything he had seen before. It didn't exist in the real world. Gohan barely had any time to react before he felt himself being pinned to the ground. The beasts' claws dug into his shoulders, and Gohan cried out in agony.

Back claws scratched at and drove themselves into the teenager's thighs. The predator lowered his open mouth to his head and was about to gorge itself when Gohan flung it off of his body. With a loud yowl, the beast hit the ground with a sickening crunch.

Relieved he still had his physical strength that required no chi energy, Gohan took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes tightly in pain. Blood leaked from the holes in his skin created by those sharp talons and he put a trembling hand over one shoulder to act as a tourniquet. The beast itself was injured and did not appear to be a threat anymore.

"This is the most realistic dream I've ever had. More like a nightmare!" Gohan muttered as the rain continued to fall from the heavens, cleansing his wounds, and drenching his navy gi, which had some parts of it shredded and torn.

Between the shadowy trees stood a lone humanoid, expressionless, but clearly, by the look in it's eyes, delighted by the turn of events. "Time to take away all of his power…then it will be unlike any nightmare he has ever had. I won't fail this time."

Elsewhere in a misty realm between reality and dreams, Tyden and Jenna worked furiously at containing the evil blackguards but alas, there were hardly any victories. Perhaps a slight one, when Tyden was able to keep Gohan from losing all of his vigor but Jenna was not able to help Goten, at all. The boy seemed to carry greater burdens and the blackguard in charge of him was using those woes to his advantage.

"We need help!" Jenna spoke to Tyden urgently, using the power of telepathy. "These blackguards are relentless!"

"Yes, I know." Tyden responded mournfully. Their own supernatural strength was dwindling, hanging on the tip of a blade. But what could they do? Without breaking the rules?

"Wait a minute." Jenna spoke again. "These two…they are brothers, right?"

"Yes…" Tyden idly wondered where she was going with this as he concentrated on predicting the next move of the blackguard he was dealing with.

"Can we not put these two together in one dream world? Maybe they could help each other?" She asked the older caretaker. "Besides, I believe the bond between these brothers is very strong—I think that may be the key to bringing them out of this nightmare."

Tyden sighed. "We have no other options and we certainly cannot leave them at this time." The younger caretaker was right. Gohan and Goten each held a haunting encumbrance that took its toll on their daily lives, or rather their innermost thoughts. One had to live with the guilt of knowing he could've stopped a great threat from stealing away his father from his life. The other had to live without his father and had to deal with knowing he would never be like his older brother, as he suspected, assumed, others wished. These hardships had to be dealt with and together, Goten and Gohan might be able to just that. They would rescue each other.

The two caretakers gathered the last of their powers and drew the two dream worlds together. The blackguards took no notice of this…at least not yet.

One of them was speaking to young Goten. "You are by yourself, never to be rescued. You will seek refuge, peace, and comfort but never will you find it." The flame-haired enemy's voice was like steel and it chilled the demi-Saiyan to the bone.

"Please…leave me alone!" Goten wailed, backing away from him. Already he knew his chi-less powers, normal martial arts, were gone. He had already tried when the blackguard had kicked him a few feet away from his original spot on the ground. In a desperate attempt to save himself, Goten had charged the wraith at top speed but was punched in the cheekbone.

Bruised and afraid, Goten tried to stand up and run away but found his legs were weak and stiff. He sat back down again and closed his eyes. 'This has to be a dream!' He thought numbly. Goten hadn't realized that he had become so dependent on his chi and natural strength. This was a battle of the mind and heart, not of the body. The blackguard was using every fear and even possible opinions and regrets Goten's family and friends might have against him, to break the soul and spirit of the half-Saiyan boy.

"You are a pitiful human." The blackguard snarled, moving closer and closer to the saddened seven-year-old. "You cannot even defend yourself. Weakling."

Goten gasped inwardly, remembering his own father calling him that, as well as Vegeta. Was he really a weakling? Maybe he was…

"That's right, boy. You are a weakling. Have you ever saved your pathetic little world? Have you ever beaten your wretched friend in a fight? Are you stronger than he is? Have you ever won a battle between you and your brother?"

"No…" Goten whispered to himself. Trunks was only stronger because he was older, right? Gohan was stronger because he had more experience…right? He'd never won a sparring match but he did come very close to it. It had been within his grasp but triumph had slipped through his fingers.

"Are you good for anything? What can you do well that no one else can?"

Goten unconsciously thought about that question. He wasn't that smart. Could he cook? No, scratch that. The faintest of smiles became visible on his tearstained face. It reminded him of a prank he and Trunks ended up pulling on Trunks' father. It had to do with the two boys attempting to bake some cookies after watching Trunks' grandmother bake a batch. They messed up, which was no surprise, and a plan had hatched inside their minds. The Saiyan Prince was secretly fond of his mother-in-law's cooking and always devoured her desserts and other meals quickly when placed in front of him. There was no denying it; she was a good cook.

So Trunks and Goten left a note by the gravity room with the cookies wrapped in foil. Then they had watched from a distance when Vegeta finally noticed them after training. He had been suspicious; he ought to have been. Nobody usually left him food outside the door. But his stomach had argued otherwise.

The smile grew as he remembered the disgusted expression on his adopted Uncle's face. The blackguard saw this and sneered. "I'll wipe that smile off of your face, you little runt!" He threatened. Then he picked him up by the collar of his gi and threw him into the tempestuous river.

In a different part of the dream world, Gohan was facing peril as well. The blackguard had lashed at out him in a furious attack, each trading blows that is until the blackguard removed any physical strength Gohan had left. The teenager promptly fell to the ground after taking a hit to the stomach, the wind knocked out of him. Now it was time for the assault on his mind.

As Gohan reeled in pain, the blackguard slowly circled around him. "I think you might feel better after having a little talk with your family and friends…"

Gohan groaned and stole a glance at the enemy, fearing what he was going to do next. At the moment, he was helpless. Nothing could be done. His whole body felt weak. 'When will this nightmare end? Please!' He silently begged.

Unexpectedly, his father was there in front of him as well as his mother, brother, and the whole gang, everyone he had normally associated with during his life before he entered high school. "Dad?" He murmured and struggled to sit up. A few minutes passed of silence save for the sound of the harsh wind and the freezing rain. He noticed everyone was staring at him with…disappointment.

"It's all your fault, Gohan." Goku suddenly spat. "I told you to finish off Cell when you had the chance!"

"I hate you!" Goten shouted. "If it wasn't for you, Daddy would still be here!"

"You've destroyed our family!" ChiChi shrieked.

"If you and Goku didn't exist, we'd all have normal lives!" Krillin yelled angrily.

"You are a shame to the Saiyan race!" Vegeta snarled.

Taken aback and stung, Gohan was at a loss of words. "I…uh…" He could feel something wet, something warm, pooling together in eyes. Tears—they were something he had not shed for a long time except whenever the memory of his father entered his thoughts. Other than that, he really had no reason to. But now, everyone he knew, everyone he trusted and loved dearly, were standing in front of him, driving spikes into his heart.

Loneliness is one of the most heart-breaking, unbearable feelings a person can experience, nearly worse than death itself.

A part of his mind however, refused to give in. 'C'mon, Gohan! This is not real! You're in a dream, remember?' Gohan nodded dumbly, hearing his own voice inside of his head. Nevertheless, the words they had spoken still tormented him. Before he could take charge of his dream, he needed someone, something, to take away the heartache he was feeling.

A few lone tears slid down his face as they continued to chant. "Failure!" They shouted, the blackguard now joining in. "Failure!"

"No…I'm not a failure…or maybe I am…" His mind, or rather the blackguard, was playing around with him, taunting and mocking him. Painful utterances, words, remarks overwhelmed like a flood, leaving him in self-pity in his own miserable little world.

An anguished cry filled his ears, a very familiar cry. It did not sound like it was a part of his imaginary world. Gohan twisted his body around as best as he could in its weak state and saw a river about 18 or so feet away from him. Floundering about, screaming for help, was his little brother, the real Son Goten whom he loved so much.

"HELP!"

"Goten!" All thoughts of fear, depression, and hurt fled from him as he could only think of one thing: save his brother. "Hang on, I'm coming Goten!" He called out and tried to stand up but he was too weak. "No, please, NO!" He shouted as Goten continued down the river…Were his worst fears about to be confirmed? Losing another dear to his heart?

"Now!" Tyden hissed and together, he and Jenna sent strength to Gohan. It wasn't enough to defeat the blackguard, but hopefully it was enough to save the younger Son.

The burst of energy shot through him. Still chi-less but relieved by his renewed stamina, Gohan jumped to his feet and rushed towards the river, making a sharp turn to the right and heading down the river.

Startled and angered, the blackguard as well as the one who Goten had been at the mercy of, disappeared into thin air. They would be back soon…

"HELP!" Goten cried out again. By now he should have woken up from his dream. Was it actually real?

Gohan ran fast and glanced up ahead, seeing how the water moved differently… 'Oh gosh no!' He increased his speed, determined to reach Goten before he approached the waterfall.

Spying his brother on the river's edge and giving no thought to whether he was the real Son Gohan or not, Goten cried out again. "GOHAN, HELP ME!" 'I'm powerless! I can't stop it!'

Seeing no other choice, Gohan took a big risk and jumped into the river, knowing he couldn't just fly to him, plus he had no time to grab a branch or something for Goten to take a hold of. 'A race against time…but time has never been on my side.' Gohan thought bitterly as he tried to swim amidst the waves, undertow, and rocks.

Goten grabbed a gulp of air before he went under again. His frail body hit the rocky bottom and then bounced back up again. "GOHAN!" He shouted before receiving a small wave to the face.

Gohan was nearing him and when he finally did come close, he grabbed the back of Goten's gi and pulled him to him. "I've got you!" Gohan yelled and the two held on to each other. It was no use swimming against the current or swimming to the side. They were already there…

'If this isn't a dream…' Gohan thought as he and Goten fought to keep their heads above the surface. 'If this is real…there's no way we'll make it out alive.' He inhaled deeply and prepared to go over the edge. All hope was lost. 'At least we'll go together…' There didn't seem to be sign of their nightmare ending. Somehow they must've sleepwalked into the forest and their family and friends must've followed them…no, that sounded silly. Besides, Gohan wasn't sure beings like the blackguards and that beast he dealt with existed in the real world.

"AAAHHH!" Goten's terrified screams filled the air as he was separated from his brother. Gohan, above him, stretched his arms to reach his little brother, while Goten did the same. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as their fingers touched, and then their hands grasped each other and down under they went.

The small lake at the bottom of the waterfall was extensive in height, a relief to both. Surprised that they were still alive, Gohan and Goten furiously kicked their legs out, swimming rapidly to the top, tiny bubbles seeping from their closed lips. They broke through the surface, gasping for much needed air.

They swam to the lake's edge and crawled out, Gohan helping Goten out of the water before getting out himself. The sky was still cloudy but the rain had ceased. The air however still held a sense of foreboding.

Goten instantly hugged his brother tightly around the waist and Gohan returned the fierce hug. No words were said for there was no need for them at the moment.

Shaking and sobbing softly, Goten pulled back and looked at his brother with fearful eyes. "Gohan, I'm sorry!"

"Huh?" Gohan frowned. "What for?"

"I'm sorry you can't have a normal life!" Goten answered.

Gohan nearly fell over. "What?" He asked, puzzled by the remark. It would have been funny if not for the graveness of the situation.

Goten explained everything that had happened previously before they met. Fresh tears gathered in his eyes as he remembered the hurtful words directed at him. "I didn't mean…!"

"Ssh…" Gohan held his little brother close. "You don't have to apologize for anything, Goten. You did nothing wrong." He paused, thinking back to his own haunting incident. "I went through the same thing except…it was true."

"What do you mean?" Goten stared at him questioningly. Was the dream true…or what?

"I…" Gohan felt a lump form in his throat, a lump so familiar, reminding him of the day an unselfish valiant sacrifice had been made in his favor and the planet's favor as well. "Dad would still be here if I had destroyed Cell when I had the chance…and because of us being part Saiyan and all…" He shook his head. "No. I can't believe that. This is a dream, Goten. A horrible nightmare. We'll wake up soon, I promise."

"I believe you, Gohan." Goten murmured. "We'll be okay, right?"

Gohan smiled and patted his head. "We will. Just be strong, kiddo. Strength comes in many different ways."

"Believe what you want. We are still in control."

Goten gulped when he heard the voice and the two brothers lifted their heads to see the blackguards. One had a hair of bright orange while the other of lightning yellow. Each had smoldering reddish-aqua eyes, almost impossible to imagine. "Not them!" He squeaked.

"No, Goten." Gohan whispered, keeping his gaze on them steady. "This is not reality. They have no control over us." He had to have courage, hope, all the makings of a true warrior. If the dream would ever end, he did not know. All he did know was that they had to protect themselves against these strange beings.

"Well…what do we do?" Goten whispered back, keeping his own eyes on the two standing before them.

"How typical. Of course YOU wouldn't know what to do. You're a weakling remember?" The first blackguard emphasized smirking.

"No you're not!" Gohan spoke urgently to his brother, now drawing his undivided attention to him. "You're tough, Goten! You can do anything if you put your mind to it."

"But YOU can't, Gohan." The second remarked. "You couldn't destroy 'Cell'. You couldn't stop your own father from dying."

Gohan hesitated as all memories of the Cell Games returned to him anew in a flash. The bloated Cell, the wind and sand stinging his eyes, his father bidding farewell…

"Gohan?" That little voice brought him back to the present and he focused on Goten, seeing the little boy's eyes closed. There was a worried expression on his face.

"_Just be strong…"_

His own words…they both had to be strong, for each other. "I'm here, Goten." Gohan whispered. "Concentrate…do you remember when I taught you how to fly?" Now that question had come out of nowhere yet the teenager believed he was going in the right direction with bringing back the good times. He closed his own eyes as well.

"Yeah!" Goten smiled as he remembered that day. "It wasn't too long ago, was it?"

"No it wasn't." Gohan replied, smiling. "I called you a flying pedestrian."

"You weren't strong enough to fly or intelligent enough to learn how to fly on your own!" The blackguards were starting to panic now. Things weren't going as planned.

"You're a fast learner." Gohan said with pride. "Dad would be so proud of you."

"Really?"

"NO! Your father hates you! He—"

"Mom's a great cook, isn't she?" Gohan quickly cut the blackguard off.

"She is." Goten agreed. "She makes the best rice in the whole world!" Now it was Goten's turn. "Do you 'member last Christmas, big brother?"

"I sure do!" The demi-Saiyan recalled the delicious smell of Christmas cookies in the air and the gifts exchanged. The whole gang had gathered at Capsule Corporation in the afternoon on Christmas Day. It was tradition, plus Bulma had more than enough room to accommodate everyone. The afternoon and evening had been all games and fun, subsequent to the opening of presents of course. The guys, including the Saiyan Prince (the Christmas spirit can reach even the most frigid of hearts) indulged in snowball fights while the women made hot chocolate and chatted with each other.

"It was my most favorite Christmas." Goten reminisced fondly. With the help of Bulma, Goten chose the prettiest bracelet he had ever seen, at least one that he could afford, and new gloves for Gohan, for the winter.

"ARGH!" The blackguard with shocking yellow hair conjured up the image of lava surrounding them and the Son brothers instantly felt the intense heat upon their skin. It was flowing slowly but surely in their direction.

Goten snapped his eyes open. "G-Gohan!"

"Close your eyes, Goten!" Gohan ordered firmly and the younger brother did as he was told, reluctantly. Gohan held his hand and they continued to talk about the good things in life they had experienced.

However, the reign of terror the blackguards had created was quickly collapsing. Upon their loss of confidence, Tyden and Jenna had intervened, changing the lava into water, and then into flowers. The sun peeked out from behind the stormy clouds and all returned to normal.

"I can't wait for the tournament!" Goten grinned. "Are we still going to train some more?"

"You bet but first I have teach Videl to fly properly, at least to fly as well as we can." Gohan answered, a light blush forming on his cheeks.

"YOU CANNOT WIN!" The other blackguard shouted, preparing to produce another horrifying image but it was then that the Lady Veeana appeared. Using her powers that made her the Head Caretaker, Veeana sent the blackguards back to their dwelling with great damage. They wouldn't be returning for awhile.

The tall humanoid female smiled softly at the two brothers. Tyden and Jenna also appeared beside her, smiling. "Mission accomplished." Jenna breathed. Tyden nodded in agreement, watching the two brothers, the memory of one of their friends who had become human, coming back along with the good times they had had as well.

"It is time for you both to wake up." Veeana whispered and then the three caretakers vanished, no doubt heading back to their home in the clouds.

END OF DREAM SEQUENCE

No longer feeling wind or anything else, Gohan cautiously opened his eyes. A short laugh escaped his lips. "We're-it's over, Goten!" He exclaimed excitedly.

"Wha…?" Goten opened his own deep brown eyes and blinked at the moonlight. "We're awake!" He glanced around wildly, taking in the familiar sight of their room. The boy, giddy with glee, flared his chi and found that it had returned.

Gohan did a once-over of his body, seeing no cuts or gashes marring his skin. "It's over, little buddy." Gohan reached over and hugged his brother once more. "We did it!"

"Yay!" Goten grinned as he returned the hug. "I love you, Gohan."

"I love you too, little brother." Gohan murmured. "I think it's time we actually went to sleep though."

Goten became worried. "But what if we have a bad dream again?"

Gohan shook his head. "I don't think we will…just don't worry about it, okay? We've another a day ahead of us of training. Don't you wanna beat Trunks and Vegeta? And meet Dad?"

"Yeah! I can't wait to meet Dad…for real!" Goten gushed happily. "And I'm gonna try my hardest when I fight Trunks! I'll win, I'll win for you Gohan, and Mommy, and Dad…"

"Who knows? You might be up against me, or Dad, or even Piccolo before you actually fight Trunks." Gohan said, not aware of the changes in the tournament rules.

"Oh well. I'll do my best, Gohan." Goten grinned. "I can do anything, right?"

"If your heart's in it, yes, Goten." Gohan smiled warmly. He lay down on his back and proceeded to go to sleep but it eluded him once more when he felt eyes on him. Gohan opened his eyes again and saw that Goten had remained sitting up. "What is it?"

"Gohan…" The younger Son fidgeted with his sheets. "Promise that we'll protect each other no matter what?"

Gohan nodded solemnly, without hesitation. "I promise."

"Me too." Goten said.

"Just as long as you're not in danger yourself if you try to save me." Gohan added. "You never know what's going to come our way…"


End file.
